4-29-17 Gem 7 days NYC - Florida, GSC, Nassau. Dailies, essential tips, FAQ not semi-live

[mking8288]

This section is mainly for the App's built-in VoIP dialer, as FYI, within the iConcierge, with a fee of $9.99 per device on the Gem, as rates varied by ships. Calls to/from other registered users onboard the ship are free from charges and do NOT use any WiFi inTERnet minutes that you might have. Calls to land/mobile # is charged at 79 cents a minute - also over WiFi inTRAnet, using no MB or minutes of air-time. Make sure your cellular radio is OFF, especially data roaming.

Reviews are mixed, some liked it while others feel it's unreliable, YMMV so proceed with caution. No opinion from using it ourselves to speak of.

 

An unique 8 digital VoIP mobile number is assigned by the Gem's server/system automatically, valid for the duration of the cruise and should show up on Caller ID device when placing outbound call - that's confirmation that no cellular calls or charges are incurred. If you plan to call home/someone away from the ship - these 8 digits will be your "identifier" - last digit of one (1) is the first person listed for Stateroom's Onboard Account, last digital of two (2) is the 2nd. person listed.

 

 

via Nexus 5X on Nougat 7.1.2 using Tapatalk, VPN secured.

Edited May 10, 2017 by mking8288

[ella99]

Hi OP - been waiting so long for someone on this itinerary to post !!! THANK YOU:)

 

Please can you advise if Tim Kiminski is still the comedian on board? And if not who is it?

 

Enjoy your trip - shall be following closely from the UK and on board in less than 3 weeks:)

 

Tim Kaminsky was on our cruise on April 18-29th. He got off when we docked in NY. He was going on his vacation and he wasn't sure when or which ship he would be returning to.

[rjmols]

Tim Kaminsky was on our cruise on April 18-29th. He got off when we docked in NY. He was going on his vacation and he wasn't sure when or which ship he would be returning to.

 

Thanks for the info - hope they replace him with someone funny !!

[Lovesealife]

Mking thank you so much for sharing this review. I am sailing NCL on the Gem for the first time in 9 years and it is my fiance's first time ever. I feel like we have learned so much reading this and you have made us very excited to give her a try. Cheers!

[mking8288]

... sailing NCL on the Gem for the first time in 9 years and it is my fiance's first time ever ... made us very excited to give her a try. Cheers!

Great, if the write-up are helpful to some of you, we are happy ... this isn't aimed at the premium or Haven experience, just "ordinary" steerage with some insider's tips from sailing NCL (and, other lines) over the years - sum up the observations among the 7 of us, in 3 staterooms - deck 8, obstructed and picture oceanviews and deck 10 mid-ship inside. The Gem is going to look & feel like a new ship to you since that sailing 9 years ago, enjoy & have a great time !

 

===============================================

The CC review has been submitted, should be posted soon under my screen name - for anyone who wish to read it. Has been thinking do a quick re-cap, without writing a long "essay" about it. Let me start with a few bullet points:

 

We booked 2 of our 3 staterooms about 7 months ago and the 3rd one less than 3 months ago - including CAS rate with land-based certificate, 2 took the prepaid/included D.S.C. (nice) - I usually select the 250 WiFi minutes but didn't (with the reliable "rumor" of a slower satellite broadband speed.)

 

All 3 of us received Upgrade Advantage offer to bid higher at 50+ days out; and made our counter-offer. One OV offer was accepted about 10 days before sailing, much earlier than expected at $100 for the upgrade - obstructed OV, deck 8 MID; 2nd offer was accepted about 4 days before sailing at $120 for OV with picture window, deck 8 AFT (also port-side) that sleep 4 (3 booked) and 3rd offer "rejected" 2 days before sailing - none of the bids for the balconies were accepted at $150, $200 and $250 per staterooms ... our cruise was selling slowly with plentiful unsold at even 30+ days out, but did seemed to be sold out by sailaway, boosted by solo travelers getting discounted rates.

 

One of our older BIL, SIL & her older sister had an Inside - they paid $120 for the OV picture window (with bedding for 4). They didn't know about the inverted U-shape bed setup until now, got the Room Steward to do that by evening and were very happy, as one of the "seniors" didn't have to "climb" up & down - especially in the middle of the night, from the drop-down pullman bed for the bathroom. All 3 of them had their own bed space to sit when they're in their room - worthwhile upgrade for a nominal expense, a win-win. For discussions about the pro's & con's of the Upgrade, please refer to one of the numerous running thread on the NCL forum.

 

For embarkation & disembarkation in NYC, when the ship is (typically/usually) docked at Pier 88, 2 gangways are used to speed the process - both onto Deck 7. An area is designated nearby to store any "large" carry-on luggage until the rooms are ready so there's no need to drag them all over the ship - or into Grand Pacific MDR for a sit-down lunch. Garden Cafe is open for buffet lunch (it's packed with most of the "herd" ... best to avoid it, you will have plenty of time all week to discover & explore it, and gain weight if you wish). O'Sheehan's closed on turnaround morning & lunch for services - unlike the *Away ships.

 

Except on turnaround day, light continental breakfast is free for delivery from 6:30 to 10 AM (tipping is always appreciated & welcomed ... cash) but Room Services at other hours will result in a $7.95 delivery charge, regardless of the size & quantity you are ordering - i.e. made to order pizza is available, with this fee.

 

The mandatory safety/muster station drill is scheduled 30 minutes before sailing - no need to bring your life jacket, no cameras or videos allowed - it's quick. Crew at the "assembly station" will check you in with their clipboard, manually - unlike the *Away ships where your keycard is scanned digitally.

 

Our checked luggage were delivered to our hallway in mid-afternoon, just two 22" carry-on rollers - my convertible backpack had all the essentials that we boarded, DW had a small hand luggage plus her Coach tote ... easy, it's just a 7 days itinerary and we get 2 free bags of laundry done if needed as our Platinum perk, otherwise - it's a $19.95 special mid-week to get it washed. And, there's always Woolite & the hand-wash sink.

[USAussie]

Thanks for the morning review and pictures. We are on the May 20th Gem. Can't wait.

Ha, ha, we will be on that one too. Our first time. Hope it's a good one.

[mking8288]

Ha, ha, we will be on that one too. Our first time. Hope it's a good one.

Best wishes for a smooth & safe sailing later this week with calm seas, great weather & all - be sure to join the Roll Call, if you haven't checked in & say hello to the friendly folks ... late comings always welcomed, always - and those experienced sailing NCL can share a few personal stories with you.

 

Our last few cruises had been on the "bigger" & mega ships - it's so nice to be back on the Gem or equivalent class of NCL ships - don't have to worry about making dinner and show reservations, except for Specialty dining. We actually skipped two dinners for 2 as part of our Platinum perk last month, including the bottle of wine - dinner as served in the MDR for 7 nights were, IMHO, actually good, not great - not premium or upscale, but they're fine. Services prompt, quick, friendly & at a good serving temperature ... it was slower than we've liked on one busy "sea" evening ... no Captain's Night and no Chocoholic buffet, no seafood or lobster/tail special for an up-charge in the MDR (go do specialty dining for that, if you must ...)

 

With 2 MDR, one of them opened at 5 PM and the other at 5:30 PM, if you go early when it opened - odds are that, even without reservations - they can quickly seat you with minimal wait. There are a good # of small tables to seat 2, 3 and 4 - without sharing and "rubbing" strangers in elbow-to-elbow fashion. We went some nights & ask for a table of 7, again that typically not an issue ... we never insisted a table by the window with a view to the host/ess. Allow 90 minutes for dinner service at the MDR and time to get to the Stardust Theater for shows (best to arrive 15 minutes early for choice of seats) - Swing, Blazing Boots, Acrobats by the Russian Duo, and Get Down Tonight all lasted about 45 to 60 minutes in duration ... usually 2 presentation for the evening, 7 PM and 9 PM (thus, less confusing than the *Away ships) - you can still late dinner after coming out of the "early" show around 8:15 or 8:30 PM.

 

During the week, reservations still available for LeBistro, Cagney seemed to get booked up full by mid-week, as long as you are "very" flexible with offered meal time. Teppanyaki reservations were gone quickly - IMO, save your money and do that while in NYC, plenty of land places to do that pre- and post-cruise ... besides Benihana for "surf & shrimp" cooking.

l

Checkout the newly redone Bliss Lounge, it's adults only late night but otherwise - check that out, Deck 7 AFT next to the MDR ... could be your own personal oasis away from any crowds; and, where art auction are held #cough #cough.

 

There's a Latitude cocktail reception for silver, gold, platinum, plus & ambassadors in the Spinmaker Lounge, great place to watch the ocean, waves & changing seas - those with motion sickness ... might wish to stay away - Deck 13 Fwd. Bingo games held & a Q & A "Ask the Officers" Session with the ship's bridge/senior officers given, for 30+ minutes, including a slide presentation of the ship - this is for those who don't get to do the complimentary Behind The Scene (BTS) tour for Platinum members ... I went & learn something new about the ship myself (Gem was recently drydocked and got upgrades to its Azipod systems, for better & refined steering control, etc. - nice, if necessary - the ship can sail 25 km into a storm against gale force cross-wind; and, is built to handle it with ease (yes, we did that in 2012) You will get a choice of free cocktails, bite-sized appetizers and a chance to win the door prizes being given away ... sorry, they no longer give away free NCL 7 night cruises at these Latitude gatherings, LOL.

 

On your way to explore the rest of the ship on a "slow" sea day, don't forget to checkout the ship's "guardian" IT Mermaid - inside the Bridge Viewing Room (Deck 11 Fwd, portside - open dust to dawn) ... unlike 2012, access/tour of the Bridge is no longer permitted for security/safety reasons - this is as close as you will get to see the bridge.

 

Gem's down-sized Internet Cafe is inside the Library, Deck 12 Fwd, starboard side - with 3 terminals. For those that must do their work or stay/go connected while at sea - I strongly recommended bring your own hardware, whether it's a tablet or iPad with an external/USB keyboard or notebook/netbook or laptop PC ... with your own Apps loaded & latest cyber-security & firewall/anti-virus software running. One of the terminal was said to be "out" and there was a line/wait for use at busy time - and, the browser will timed out at 15 minutes & reset itself. Internet Cafe manager's desk is located on Deck 7 AFT, next to the Art Gallery ahead of the Grand Pacific MDR, port-side ... with posted office hours, but not very convenient with the "terminals" 5 decks above.

 

With a combination of T-Mobile, Sprint, Project Fi and BTC cellular speed plan on 3 out of 7 days (PC, GSC and Nassau) - and the relatively "shower" speed compared to the Breakaway's faster satellite broadband - I do not recommend the unlimited daily WiFi plan to share & use among multiple devices, one at a time, at $30 daily (rates & plans, subject to change without notice by NCL) ... unless - well, it's your money, feel free to spend it.

 

The remodeled duty-free and gift shops are similar to those on the POA with a good selection of items, liquor & cigarettes are always good buy - especially if you have non-refundable OBC and you don't plan to "donate" to the ship's casino ... grand prize for the nightly drawing is approaching a million, USD - $2 per ticket. Marlboro going for about $85 for 2 cartoon specials, $145 for 4 cartoon specials - please check on your eligible/qualified customs allowance; and, declare them. $10 "bargain" special sales offered on that last sea day - join the crowd if you've never done that on a cruise ... been there & done that, we avoided it entirely.

Edited May 15, 2017 by mking8288

[USAussie]

Best wishes for a smooth & safe sailing later this week with calm seas, great weather & all - be sure to join the Roll Call, if you haven't checked in & say hello to the friendly folks ... late comings always welcomed, always - and those experienced sailing NCL can share a few personal stories with you.

 

Thanks, mate. Being a newbie I don't even know what or where the Roll Call is! :eek:

[mking8288]

Port stops for the itinerary - Port Canaveral, GSC and Nassua - we've done this on numerous runs and on different ships ... nowadays, we just "wing" it and don't plan ahead for anything - making choices on the spot depending on weather, etc..

 

For PC, stopover is too short these days to go into Orlando for anything, nor worth the expenses with too short time to work with - even if using ship's tour options. We stayed onboard - for those thinking about Cocoa Beach and/or Coca Village, it's 15 minutes away & plenty of taxi/shared shuttle outside the cruise terminal - no need to book or reserve anything ahead of time ... plus, you will save money vs. using NCL's option. Plan to return to the ship at least 30 minutes before sailaway ... don't become a pier runner, or, worst - ended up with ship security going to your stateroom, clearing out your contents & retrieving your belongings from the mini-safe; and, handing them to the port agent. It happened to several folks during our sailing and delayed our departure from PC by 75+ minutes ... an expensive lesson, even if you have insurance that cover it.

 

GSC is NCL's own private island, a tender port and it's always a coin toss - the enhancement has come a long way ... 15 years in the making, still work in progress but looking even nicer.

 

Nassau - if you are unlucky with GSC, you have a chance for an afternoon or evening arrival and docking, staying overnight at the pier - your floating hotel until the late afternoon sailing back to NY - again, local ship is same as ship time for NYC, don't miss the cutoff and have Guest Services paging you all over the ship's PA system, or, worse - getting boo's and cheers running on the pier, chasing the ship as they get ready to pull up the gangways ... and, sail without you & your belongings.

 

We heard about 6 names being called as we're going to dinner, not sure if they're left behind or managed to make it back just in time - we left Nassau virtually on schedule around 6 PM. Sometimes, at the captain's discretion - the ship will wait 10 to 15 minutes for you, at most & we've watched that before.

 

This time, we took a 2.5 hours van tour on the Nassau pier, around the island - with a 45 minutes stop at Atlantas ... also took us to the Queen's Staircase of 66 steps, etc. just $30 p/p - a nice saving over NCL's package.

 

Some ideas & suggestions for dining - for breakfast, give O'Sheehan's a try - it has a simple "Express" option, but it's pretty nice - you can still get your juice & coffee, fruit plate, pastries and toast along with it - and nice if you are lucky to get seated at one of the booth with long benches next to the giant windows looking out at sea.

 

Looking for smoked salmon - only place I know of to order & get them, is in the MDR at breakfast - with a toasted bagel, cream cheese too. Those "salmon" mousse in the buffet - yikes ... and way, way too salty ... no, no and no. Subjective opinions of mine, of course - but, trust me - you will thank me for avoiding it.

 

Next to last Sea Day (Day 6) - O'SH has Seafood Basket as special for dinner, give it a try (we missed it, however) Last Sea Day, buffet was Asian Night while MDR was serving Prime Rib & other nice items - we gave the buffet a try - "big mistakes" of ours ... should've gone downstairs to the MDR instead ... they just couldn't do the "roast" suckling pig right & everything else was drowning in thick gravies & sauces, etc. (plus, too salty)

 

Disembarkation - we took advantage of priority disembarkation (aside from the bonus of getting VIP escort to the gangway) so had our Gold, Group 4 Luggage Tags ready & placed them outside before 11 PM for pickup ... they're on the pier on the morning of arrival. Ate a full sit-down breakfast in the MDR & watch the crowds struggled with "Express Self Walkoff" with all their over-sized baggage, lined up on the stairs & on the decks ... not a relaxing way to go home, why leave in a hurry. We're off the ship around 8:40 AM - about one hour after the herd made their way to the gangways, use porters to help speed us thru CBP & were outside on 12th Avenue by 9 AM - in our Carmel car service by 9:20 AM on W. 48th Street, across the way ... and home at 10 AM, via the Bronx route to N.E. Queens - the long way, a 20 miles drive but fastest ... tolls, tips & fare, came to just $60 for 2 of us.

 

We took care of extra "appreciation" (cash tips) to our friendly Room Steward 2 nights before disembarkation - knowing it's mad crazy for them the night before & day of turnaround ... all guests asked to vacate & leave the staterooms by 8 AM on arrival, plenty of "public" space to sit, relax & wait ... O'Sheehan & atrium lobby has coffee & juice while waiting until luggage "numbers" by the color or group are called.

 

That is, about it, from our notes ... I probably missed a few - I am sure others will help fill them in over time. Feel free to ask questions or comments, etc. and will continue to best answer & help - to make your cruise as enjoyable & as good as ours. If someone on the crew is exceptional, don't forget to get a Hero Card from Guest Services & fill it out. There is also a suggestion box in the atrium lobby at Guest Services - we had a minor issue & I filled out the form & left comments - it got taken care of with the incident in the MDR, not a big deal but others in our party were upset & annoyed. It was addressed & acknowleged - thanks, NCL - that explained the bottle of wine in my room, although we skipped our LeBistro dinner with the complimentary bottle of wine.

Edited May 15, 2017 by mking8288
No

[mking8288]

Thanks, mate. Being a newbie I don't even know what or where the Roll Call is! :eek:

If you are sailing this Saturday, 5/20 on the Gem - this is your Roll Call, it's free to join & participate ... all the details & folks will be happy to have you. Have a great time & a welcome to CruiseCritic too.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2415890&page=9

[Imperial Cruisers]

Thanks, mate. Being a newbie I don't even know what or where the Roll Call is! :eek:

 

USAussie...follow this link ...it will take you to our roll call for this weekend !! (I take from the link you are on the NCL Gem leaving Saturday the 20th ... Read thru the thread and join the Meet & Greet !

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2415890&page=9

[Cinderellie]

mking... when the ship docked in Nassau... what time was that? I am thinking of doing a non-ship excursion there that meets at 8:15 am. Can we disembark that soon? Or do ship excursions go first?

 

Thanks.

[mking8288]

mking... when the ship docked in Nassau... what time was that? I am thinking of doing a non-ship excursion there that meets at 8:15 am. Can we disembark that soon? Or do ship excursions go first? ..

We're pulling in early, just like the Gem this morning & they also made GSC like us - a beautiful & sunny morning - docking around 7:15 to 7:30 - local officials usually clear the ship quickly, within 15 to 30 minutes. Depending on the berth assigned, it's a 10 to 15 "easy" walking pace from gangway to the terminal building/secured gate-fence, to meet your local tour outside.

 

Ship excursions get priority to go ashore first so 8:15 might be a little tight. We had priority disembark for all the ports - this time - so it was possible if we wanted to, but most probably don't & might have to wait a little longer. Although, as a "smaller" ship - the crowds rushing to go ashore usually are off & then others can join them for the exodus.

 

When we got off at our leisurely pace around 10 AM, some of the tours were still on the pier, waiting & not yet departed for their ...

 

Depending on your specific local tour, check & ask if they have a later tour and/or will wait for you if case there's a slight delay ... some of the tours last no more than 3 hours & there's still plenty of time to come back, do a little shopping & get back onboard for a late lunch, etc.

 

 

P.S. Sailing in 4 days, you must be excited & ready to go ... have a nice cruise in this great weather, we're in our shorts all week except during the evening.

 

via Nexus 5X on Nougat 7.1.2 using Tapatalk, VPN secured.

Edited May 17, 2017 by mking8288

[Cinderellie]

Which night was Dressy night? Our crew wants to know. Leaving tomorrow!

 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

[mking8288]

Which night was Dressy night? Our crew wants to know. Leaving tomorrow!

Of cours, Bon Voyage to all on your roll call & tomorrow's embarkation !! Have a safe, smooth & excellent cruise - ocean & waves looking good on forecast (a quickie look) ... weather is very warm to hot = shorts & sandals - beach weather for sure ! They tendered to GSC last week and so should all of you.

 

Short answer - there isn't one, it's up to you all to make you own - resort casual, including shorts in Magneta MDR for dinner) and everywhere - except at Grand Pacific & LeBistro for dinner (shorts for breakfast & sit-down lunch.) Photo staff setup in the atrium lobby for "pro" studio portraits & group photos ... I must say, don't recall Captain's night nor his availability to pose (or, we're too busy ourselves) - hardly anyone dressed up for dinner, didn't see anyone in a tuxedo ... ladies still dressed up a bit, some - anyway. It's possible to show up at Cagney for dinner reservation in shorts, that's freestyle cruising.

 

Just a heads-up, Gem still out of AIS radar range - should be somewhere off the South Jersey now if early/on-time, given past tracking - of course, the Captain can speed up a little to make up for it. I suggest checking live webcam in the morning, sometime between 6 and 7 AM to get a good idea of whether she's still outside the VZ Bridge or already past the SOL and sailing up the Hudson or even docked at Pier 88 ... Then, time those arrival at the pier to promptly checked in for boarding. Surely, folks are eager to get on the ship ... BTW, the Roll Call is looking very good, have a good Meet & Mingle, we did & lots of us stayed around to chat after the officers left ... LeBistro was available to us until noon, Group Event provided us with lots of refreshments & pastries/sweets.

 

P.S. There is (paid) good WiFi signal @GSC - relayed & provided by the ship, somehow - our "secrets" for everyone on the Roll Call. Plus, cellular signals - as long as folks have international data plan to roam, it's is good - otherwise, remember to disable data or stay on Airplane mode on the island.

 

Have a safe and wonderful trip !

[rjmols]

Of cours, Bon Voyage to all on your roll call & tomorrow's embarkation !! Have a safe, smooth & excellent cruise - ocean & waves looking good on forecast (a quickie look) ... weather is very warm to hot = shorts & sandals - beach weather for sure ! They tendered to GSC last week and so should all of you.

 

Short answer - there isn't one, it's up to you all to make you own - resort casual, including shorts in Magneta MDR for dinner) and everywhere - except at Grand Pacific & LeBistro for dinner (shorts for breakfast & sit-down lunch.) Photo staff setup in the atrium lobby for "pro" studio portraits & group photos ... I must say, don't recall Captain's night nor his availability to pose (or, we're too busy ourselves) - hardly anyone dressed up for dinner, didn't see anyone in a tuxedo ... ladies still dressed up a bit, some - anyway. It's possible to show up at Cagney for dinner reservation in shorts, that's freestyle cruising.

 

Just a heads-up, Gem still out of AIS radar range - should be somewhere off the South Jersey now if early/on-time, given past tracking - of course, the Captain can speed up a little to make up for it. I suggest checking live webcam in the morning, sometime between 6 and 7 AM to get a good idea of whether she's still outside the VZ Bridge or already past the SOL and sailing up the Hudson or even docked at Pier 88 ... Then, time those arrival at the pier to promptly checked in for boarding. Surely, folks are eager to get on the ship ... BTW, the Roll Call is looking very good, have a good Meet & Mingle, we did & lots of us stayed around to chat after the officers left ... LeBistro was available to us until noon, Group Event provided us with lots of refreshments & pastries/sweets.

 

P.S. There is (paid) good WiFi signal @GSC - relayed & provided by the ship, somehow - our "secrets" for everyone on the Roll Call. Plus, cellular signals - as long as folks have international data plan to roam, it's is good - otherwise, remember to disable data or stay on Airplane mode on the island.

 

Have a safe and wonderful trip !

 

Thank you. We will 😀

[Gershep]

I finally got a chance to read your great review. I totally agree with you about the MDR lunch menu. We enjoy having lunch in the MDR but the repetitive menu doesn't make it enjoyable every day. A chef's special would be great. DH is a chocolate lover but I am not so I get you with all the chocolate desserts. In 2015 we did an eight night Florida/Bahamas Gem cruise and having that one extra day made a difference. Hoping for some 8/9 night cruises out of NY in 2018 would be great.

[mking8288]

I finally got a chance to read your great review. I totally agree with you about the MDR lunch menu ... Hoping for some 8/9 night cruises out of NY in 2018 would be great.

Thanks, those opinions - especially food - are highly subjective and personal in nature (put the "disclaimer" in ... before I get into "trouble" with the food police, LOL. Just kidding.

 

For others who wish to read it - cross linking that here, easier to find. It also has a quick review of our obstructed Oceanview on deck 8 (plus enough info about that area, the corridors and the crew storage, hotel locker & "white space" that folks often ask questions about ... I think 85% answered. Our beds were actually below an access panel for part of the ship's plumbing system ... darn it, forgot to take a picture of the small tag/sign near the overhead "hatch" (maybe it's connected to those lifeboat mechanicals outside our windows ... and, a crew in white overall did walk by while we're at sea, nothing to see - LOL, DW was elsewhere & I pull the curtain closed for privacy.)

 

Easy direct link to the CC Review about our Gem cruise written up & published - http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=576754

 

Back on food comments briefly, we had since ate some excellent Asian food here at home - but, also had a bad & expensive one, totally not worth it. NCL needs to step up their efforts on Asian fusion dining, Orchid Garden is, in my opinion, a waste and could be much better utilized - either as a paid venue or modified, maybe expand Teppanyaki. DW reminded me that in the old days, we did Shabu Shabu or Hotpot there & it was fun, despite its limited selections with a nominal charge. Shanghai Noodles on the *Away ships has a shorter menu but we find that to be better - the broth or soup stock used for the noodle soup was much better ... as what they served or used in Orchid Garden was, just, horrible - everyone in our party commented that it's like a water & soy sauce mix, yikes. The bowl of Cha Siu Noodles soup (Roast Pork) should've been a simple, comfort food - they still managed to ruin it - the "tiny" bowl of salad was fine, just way, way too small ... fixing that is easy.

 

Our next adventure in cruising is almost half a year away, jotting down some of the post-cruise reflections of what we think ... helped to re-live our cruise & useful to newbies. Looking forward to someone else coming back last week or this week with their perspectives and write-up views of the Gem.

[Gershep]

We will be on the Gem once again in 7 days. I will write a review of our cruise but it will be a lot shorter than your great review, lol. Like everyone I am hoping for calm seas and a stop at GSC.

[nextcruiseis]

Curious about the inverted U bed configuration referenced in this thread. Does someone have a photo?

[mking8288]

Curious about the inverted U bed configuration referenced in this thread. Does someone have a photo?

Here you go - save it to your smartphone or iPad, etc. & show it to your friendly Room Steward. (This is from an Inside - the OV has the same layout but slightly more square footage.)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d406yc9ety2ib3n/NCL%20Dawn-Jewel%20for%204%20-%203B-U.jpg?dl=0

 

BIL, SIL and her older sister upgraded from Inside to picture window Oceanview on Deck 8 AFT, they're very happy with this setup ... none of the 3 had to climb up (or down) from the upper pullman. There is room to sit around the beds & move around - while they're in the stateroom, mainly for sleeping, shower & changing.

Edited August 5, 2017 by mking8288

[nextcruiseis]

Thank you for the photo.

[amygutman]

Just stumbled upon this and wanted to thank you very much - loved travelling on your vacation with you. My folks are on the Gem in September to Canada and we are on the Gem in November to the Caribbean, so this is just fabulous to look at and help plan our daily activities.

 

Just curious - looks like you had a great time, but the real mark of a great vacation is.... are you re-booking the Gem for another trip?

 

Warm Regards and Thanks - Amy

[mking8288]

Just stumbled upon this and wanted to thank you very much - loved travelling on your vacation with you. My folks are on the Gem in September to Canada and we are on the Gem in November to the Caribbean, so this is just fabulous to look at and help plan our daily activities.

 

Just curious - looks like you had a great time, but the real mark of a great vacation is.... are you re-booking the Gem for another trip?

 

Warm Regards and Thanks - Amy

We had a great time on the Gem, no if's or but's, world isn't perfect ... 99% of the crew were wonderful, we had one small issue & got the attention of the hotel director & head of F&B. Should read our post Sandy run on the Gem from 2012, since you are going soon to the Carib's.

 

We are doing the Breakaway in 3 months but Gem - 10 or 11 days - is on our radar for early Spring, as we tend to book last minute ... unless we catch a good deal further out. Mid-size ship are fine as we don't need all the extra bell & whistles. Most of our nieces & nephews are now doing cruises, on their own as young professionals.

 

on AT&T 4G, T-Mo/Project Fi or WiFi via Blu R1HD w Tapatalk, VPN secured.

[amygutman]

So going to look at that post-Sandy review...should be interesting!

We loved the Breakaway, but admittedly had a different experience than most as we were lucky enough to be in the Haven both trips. We always book the 2 bedroom villa - just so I can have 7 days in the bathroom of my dreams. If you can swing it, I highly, highly recommend it.

I'm curious about your glitch - you mentioned it in passing in your review - would you mind stating what it was? I'm clearly nosy...if you don't feel comfortable, that's ok too. Honestly, we ended up in our first Haven due to a glitch on the Gem (yes...I have told this story many times before). The kid's club tried to give us the wrong child - honest mistake, but we were understandably upset as our son has special needs and wasn't really talking much at that time. So we complained - both to cruisecritic and to NCL. 6 months later, the apology offered up by to get our business back was 3 Haven suites for a fraction of the price. Took our whole family on a Christmas holiday, and since that time, our child has never felt safer on the seas.

Warm Regards, Amy